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News: Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi wins second 4-year term as Egypt's president in landslide victory with 97% of valid votes

The NEA declared incumbent President El-Sisi the winner of Egypt's 2018 presidential elections with 97 percent of valid votes; turnout was 24 million out of 59 million eligible voters or 41%

Egypt's National Elections Authority (NEA) has declared Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi the winner of the nation's 2018 presidential elections, securing a second four-year term after winning 21,835,378 votes or 97.08 percent of valid votes.

At a press conference in Cairo on Monday, the NEA said that 24,254,152 citizens voted in the elections at home and abroad, out of near 59 million eligible voters, representing a turnout of 41.5 percent.

The NEA said that Ghad Party chief Moussa Mostafa Moussa, El-Sisi's sole opponent in the elections, won 656,534 votes or 2.92 percent of total votes

The authority said the number of invalid ballots was 1,762,231 or 7.27 percent of total votes cast.

Egyptians voted in 13,706 polling stations across all 27 governorates, said the NEA, with more than 18,808 judges and 124,000 administrative staff supervising the process.

Voting in Egypt took place between 26 and 28 March, with Egyptians abroad voting from 16 to 18 March, at Egyptian embassies and consulates in more than 120 countries.

'No complaints'

The NEA said it had not received any complaints about the elections process from the campaigns of either candidate, with no significant violations reported.

At total of 54 local and international organizations, including African Union observers and the Arab League, observed the process, reporting no violations of procedure, said the NEA.

On the third day of the vote at home, the authority announced it would be enforcing a fine of EGP 500 on those who failed to vote in the elections, as per the 2014 presidential elections law.

More than 18,000 judges and around 120,000 administrative staff supervised the vote.

The vote was secured by tens of thousands of police and army personnel.

Four more years

This is the second presidential term for Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, now aged 64, who has held office since winning elections in 2014.

He became the sixth president of the republic in May of that year after winning 23.78 million votes (96.91 percent) against his Nasserist opponent Hamdeen Sabahi.

Egypt's 2014 constitution limits presidents to two four-year terms.

El-Sisi is due to be sworn in at the House of Representatives in Cairo in June, as per constitutional guidelines, according to the Egyptian parliament's spokeperson.

In 2014, El-Sisi was sworn in at the Supreme Constitutional Court due to the absence of an elected parliament at the time.

A life of service

The father of four, El-Sisi graduated from Egypt's Military Academy in 1977 as an officer in the Egyptian army.

His previous posts include a spell as a defence attaché in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also took up command positions in the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt's second-biggest city, Alexandria.

El-Sisi was a fellow at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania in 2005-2006.

He was appointed as the head of Egyptian military intelligence in January 2010.

A year later, he became the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled the country following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in the January 2011 uprising.

In August 2012, then-President Mohamed Morsi appointed El-Sisi as minister of defence.

In July 2013, the Islamist president Morsi was ousted from power following mass protests against his rule that were backed by the army and various Egyptian political forces.

In March 2014, El-Sisi resigned from his post as minister of defense and ran for presidency.